


Vita Non Est Vivere Sed Valere Vita Est

by DefineDancing



Series: Sic Itur ad Astra [1]
Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers: Prime
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Getting to Know Each Other, Hurt/Comfort, Minor Character Death, Original Character(s), Robot/Human Relationships, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-03
Updated: 2020-03-05
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:35:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21656116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DefineDancing/pseuds/DefineDancing
Summary: Life offers nothing more than disappointment and insipidity. There’s nothing that inspires or motivates. At least, not for her.She’d always wanted more—far more than this world offered. Fortunately, there are other worlds out there, just waiting to be discovered.
Relationships: Optimus Prime/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Sic Itur ad Astra [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1573261
Comments: 13
Kudos: 43





	1. As It Always Is

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place in season 2 of Transformers Prime, starting some time after the events of Operation: Bumblebee Part 2.
> 
> Also, a HUGE thank you to my wonderful beta reader [greenleaf](https://archiveofourown.org/users/greenleaf)!!
> 
> She’s helped this story and me tremendously! Please check out all of her works!! :D

The sun was setting. 

A fair-haired little girl, no older than six years old, scampered around a moonlit backyard. There were a few trees and bushes scattered around, and the grass was in dire need of cutting, but the girl didn’t care about any of that. Her attention was drawn to the sky above. After she plopped down beside a young tree and pulled up some of the grass beside her, she stared up in wonder at the cosmos, a cold winter breeze brushing past her. She shivered, and pulled her coat tighter around her. 

She loved the stars. She loved knowing that there were other worlds, other _galaxies_ , out there. Oh, how she longed to be up there among them, exploring what they had to offer. Could there be other life out there? Would they be nice? Could humans ever make it to another planet? She wanted to find the answers to those questions. 

“Serena? Serena, honey, are you out here?” a woman called. 

“I’m here, mama!” The little girl got to her feet, and ran to the middle of the yard, so that her mother could see her clearly. The woman approached her, the grass crunching beneath her shoes as she did. 

Her mother laughed lightly upon reaching her, “I figured you’d be out here again. You need to come inside soon, it’s late.” 

Serena’s shoulders slumped as her mouth formed a small pout. 

“Well, would you and daddy come out here for a little bit with me? Just for a little bit? Please, mama!” Serena pleaded, her hands clasped as she bounced in place. She knew her father hadn’t been home long, and would likely wish to retire to bed soon. But she also knew that her father adored the outdoors just as much as she did, so it was likely that he would indulge her. 

Her mother hesitated for a moment, thinking it over before saying, “Okay, honey. But only for a little bit.” 

“Yay! Thank you, mama!” the girl squealed. Serena's mother placed a hand on her cheek, staring at her fondly for a moment. She had always been her clone. Except for her eyes, her smile, and her heart—her mother always said those were her father’s.

Her mother turned to the direction of the house, calling, “David? Would you step out here for a moment?”

A man pulled the back door open and stepped outside. He smiled down at them, illuminated only by the moonlight. Serena heard his husky voice respond, “Yeah, Diana? What did you need?” 

Diana returned his smile. “Your little rascal here wanted us to join her out here for a bit. Are you alright with that?” 

He shrugged, still smiling. “Sure. I’m happy to let the mosquitoes eat me up for a while.” 

Diana groaned, swatting at him playfully once he was close enough to reach. “Oh, hush you big grump. You can tough it out for a moment or two.”

Serena’s eyes darted from one parent to the other, watching the conversation before her. She loved seeing them play around with each other, and hoped she could do that with someone someday. But that could wait—she was out here for a reason. 

“Well, sweetheart? What do you want us to do now?” David asked, scooping her up into his arms. 

Serena wrapped her arms around his neck, holding tightly. In her eyes, her father was the best superhero there was. He was only a sheriff in their small town, but she thought he was powerful enough to fend off any bad guy. She wanted to be like him when she grew up. 

I want us to look at all the stars! They’re so pretty!” She waved her arms towards the sky, “Look! There’s Orion!”

Diana chuckled at her enthusiasm, “I don’t really know why you two adore the night sky so much. It’s beautiful, of course, but you two just live for it.” 

David readjusted his hold on Serena, so that he could wrap one arm around his wife’s waist. "Because the stars are full of wonder. They make you question a lot of things, make you wonder what else is out there that we don’t know about yet. They represent freedom and adventure. At least, those are my reasons. I don’t know about the runt’s reasons,” he murmured. 

Serena’s eyes were wide and her mouth was hanging open ever so slightly. “Yeah! Those are my reasons too! There’s a lot of stuff up there,” she stared up, determined, “And one day, I’m gonna go see it all. I’m gonna find a bunch of cool stuff and aliens and I’m gonna bring ‘em back! I’m gonna take over all the planets!” 

Diana shook her head, the corners of her eyes crinkling as she smiled. “Alright, alright, Captain Kirk. I suppose I can understand that. But there’s freedom and adventure and all that on the ground too, you know,” she reached out to brush a strand of hair out of the girl’s face, “You could find all of that here. You don’t have to place all your hopes and dreams on the galaxy, Serena.” 

Serena shimmied out of her father's arms. Behind her, she heard David speak softly to Diana, "Let her imagination run wild, darlin’." His arms wrapped around her waist and he gave her a light squeeze. "She’s young, it’s good for her to dream about big things.” 

She let out a quiet sigh, “I suppose. But she’s always been like this. I just don’t want her head to always be stuck in the clouds, and end up being disappointed with her life when she gets older.” 

“Hopefully, she won’t be. But, for now, it’s harmless fun. And she’s just a kid. We can indulge her for now, hm?” he said, placing a quick kiss on her lips. 

Serena glanced at her mother. Her brows were furrowed, and corners of her mouth were turned ever so slightly, but she was obviously forcing herself to appear less troubled. 

Diana returned her attention to Serena, and she tried to pretend she hadn’t been straining to hear what her parents were talking about. 

Her mother narrowed her eyes at her. “You weren’t eavesdropping, were you? You know that’s bad.” 

The little girl shifted her weight from one foot to the other, looking everywhere but her parents. Uh-oh. Busted.

“N-No... maybe... a little. I didn’t really hear much! Just Daddy saying it’s okay to let me watch the stars! ” Her eyes were pleading. 

Both adults shook their heads, before David spoke up teasingly, “Oh, Serena. What’re we gonna do with you?” 

Serena let out a plethora of giggles, bouncing up and down. Her parents smiled in amusement. Serena had always had a fire that burned within her—a passion and spirit for adventure and excitement that would be hard to extinguish.

David crouched down, placing his hands on her small shoulders and staring into her eyes. “Serena, no matter where you go or what you do, I’m always gonna be proud of you. Your mama will be too. You know that, don’t you?”

Diana copied her husband and crouched next to them. She placed a hand on the girl’s back, and rubbed in small circles. 

“He’s right. You’ll never have to worry about that. Whatever you do, we’ll be there to help and support you.” Her eyebrows turned upwards, and she wore an almost sad smile. “If you want to roam the galaxy, then you go do that. If you want to go to the moon one day, I believe you can do it. I know you can do whatever you put your mind to. Just remember, we’ll always be here waiting for you to get back.” 

Serena grinned widely, and dove into her parents’ arms. She wrapped her arms around them as best as her short arms could, and squeezed with all her might. Diana reached around the girl's torso and pulled her close, as David placed his arms around both of them. 

Diana interrupted the moment, reaching up to stroke the girl’s face. “You should be going to bed now, it’s late. We all should head to bed,” she turned towards the man holding her, “Especially you, Mister. You’ve got work in the morning.” The pair she spoke to deflated, opening their mouths to argue. 

“But, mama—” 

“Diana, I—” 

Diana gently but firmly cut them off, “No buts. You’ve got to go on to bed now. I know y'all don’t wanna, but you’ve gotta, alright?”

Serena sagged even more in her mother’s arms, before looking up at her father with desperation written all over her face. 

“Oh no, don’t you try that face on me.” He grinned. “I agree with your mama. It’s bedtime.” 

“Okay...” Serena mumbled, clearly defeated, as amusement spreading across Diana’s face, finding the two’s antics ridiculous. 

All three made to stand up, David extending a hand to help his wife. He then snatched Serena up, turning towards the house. They made their way back into the house, Diana trailing behind. The light patter of their footsteps and the crackling fire were the only sounds to be heard.

They walked through a small, yet cozy living room and down a short hallway until they reached Serena’s bedroom, done up in shades of purple and perfect for a growing girl. David gently placed her down onto her bed, while Diana took off their daughter’s shoes, and helped her remove her coat. 

“But, mama, I’m not even—,” her mouth stretched wide open as she yawned, “sleepy...” 

Both parents laughed. “That yawn says otherwise, little lady,” David pointed out. 

“Yeah, honey. You’re sleepy alright,” Diana whispered, leaning down to give Serena a kiss on her forehead. “Get some sleep, and dream about wonderful things, baby. I love you more than you know.” 

“We both do, sweet pea,” her father added with a soft smile, “and we always will.” 

“I’m always gonna love you both a whole lot too,” Serena said softly. 

Her parents quietly left the room and shut the door. Serena watched them leave, smiling as she was pulled into a deep sleep. 

* * *

Serena slowly opened her eyes and let out a loud sigh. 

_That damn bittersweet memory. Why wouldn’t it fade? Seeing him again always hurt._

She sluggishly sat up on her bed and grabbed her phone to check the time—6:48 A.M. Knowing she had to be up for work in twelve minutes anyways, she decided it would be best to go ahead and get ready. She’d much rather sleep away those twelve minutes, but at this point she knew she wouldn’t be able to do so.

Placing her feet on the carpeted floor and standing up, she began to stretch out her back with a yawn. She glanced around her bedroom, taking in the beige walls and sparse decorations. She’d never been much of an interior decorator. She padded her way to the bathroom and suppressed a shiver when her bare feet touched the cold tiled floor. 

Her toothbrush was in its holder, and the toothpaste was on the sink’s countertop. As she brushed her teeth, she looked up at the face in the mirror. Matted blonde hair, bags beneath pale blue eyes, and her toned shoulders bore a tired sag. She sighed at her disheveled appearance before finishing with her task. 

“If you actually had a decent sleep schedule, maybe you wouldn’t look like shit,” she grumbled to her reflection. 

The rest of her morning routine passed by quickly enough—a scalding shower, applying some light makeup, blow-drying her hair, and dressing for work in a simple dark gray skirt, heels, and a black sweater that left her shoulders bare. 

She walked to the full-length mirror hanging on the back of her closet’s door and examined her appearance. Her attire was suitable enough, but maybe she needed some jewelry. Plus, the light makeup she wore did little to conceal her weariness. With one last glimpse at her reflection, ensuring that all was well enough, she grabbed a necklace and earrings before heading to the small kitchen. After rummaging around for a moment, she grabbed some cheese and some fruit for her breakfast. 

“I guess this’ll do. I don’t have time for anything fancy,” she muttered. 

She snatched her phone and her purse and was out the door. The young woman headed down a few flights of stairs before reaching the old Ford Fusion that sat in her apartment’s assigned spot. 

The young women hopped in her car and turned the engine over before backing out of her parking space. She left the apartment complex in no particular rush. Her early awakening had her ahead of schedule, so she could afford the luxury of taking her time. At least, a little more time than usual. And, fortunately, traffic wasn’t _too_ terrible that morning. Still terrible, though. But she’d grown used to it.

As she navigated the busy morning streets of Boulder, Colorado, the growling roar of three engines suddenly reached her ears. She looked through the side mirror towards the noise just in time to see a black and yellow muscle car speed past her with two identical black cars following close behind. All three of the loud cars turned right at the stoplight ahead and out of her sight. 

“Weird. Maybe they’re street racing?” She shook her head. “Idiots.” 

All too soon, she arrived at her destination, the spectacle on the road already forgotten. She pushed open the door to the building that was home to the accounting firm where she was employed. It was an old building, but it had been renovated over the past few years. It was a nice office and the people were friendly enough. There were certainly worse places to work. Her job as an accountant wasn’t hard and she didn’t necessarily dislike it. The pay was enough to live on, but nothing more than that. It was just a job, not a career or something that she saw herself doing for much longer. This just... wasn’t for her. She wanted something more. But what exactly that was, she didn’t really know.

Passing through the doorway, Serena spotted the secretary, a woman not much older than herself with soft brown hair pulled into a tight bun and sporting a small frown. The woman looked up from the tall desk. 

“Oh, hey there, Serena. How are you this morning?” she inquired. 

Serena smiled. “Hey, Laura. I'm doing alright. How are you?”

The older woman gave the younger a bleak look. “Well, I didn't sleep worth a damn and my back hurts. So, yeah, I'm feeling wonderful. Thanks for asking.”

“What else is new,” Serena stated with a smirk., “So, is this what I've got to look forward to in a few years?”

Laura playfully glared. “Yep, you sure do, sweetie. Once you reach the ripe old age of thirty-five, I'll be looking forward to hearing you whine as much as I do.”

Serena hummed in acknowledgement, before leaning forward onto the desk with an impish grin. "Laura, I really don't think it's possible for _anyone_ to whine as much as you do."

Laura rolled her eyes and swatted the air playfully in front of her. "Oh, shut up and get to work. I've had enough of you."

Serena strutted away to the spacious elevator with a laugh. Laura was a good friend. The only one she had, if she were honest. Her people skills were rather lackluster. She could socialize well enough, but it didn’t come easily to her. Her ability to converse and build relationships just depended on the person. Sometimes, she could come off as a very charming individual, other times she just seemed like a nervous wreck.

But Laura managed to befriend her. They got along fairly well, despite their differences. Laura reminded Serena a bit of her mother, very realistic and pragmatic, no time for fantasies. She supposed it was a good thing for her to have such people in her life so she didn’t get completely lost in her head.

Once she had reached her cubicle and plopped her purse down, she sank into her office chair. She booted up her computer, logged in, and pulled up the spreadsheet she’d been working on.

But she didn’t start working.

Her eyes locked onto the screen, staring at nothing in particular. How many times over the past six years had she sat here? How many times had she worked on similar projects? How many times had she come here and wondered why she was even doing this? Too many times, as far as she was concerned. She looked around at her surroundings, rather than her computer, taking in all the familiarities.

The modern office was filled with sounds of people quietly chatting, fingers striking keyboards, and soft music emanating from headphones—as it always was. That freshly brewed coffee smell was prominent—as it always was. It was a pleasant and calm atmosphere—as it always was. And yet...

Her eyebrows tilted down, and the corners of her mouth tilted into a frown, "Another day, no different than any other..." Her shoulders drooped, and her head lowered.

"...as it always is."

.


	2. Wandering Into the Future

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will be where things start to get more interesting ;)

Most of her days dragged on for what seemed like ages, and today was no exception. Fortunately, it wasn’t tax season, and it also happened to be a Friday, so she had the rest of the weekend to do as she pleased stress free. Mostly. But she’d done all she could do today, and the rest could wait for Monday. Plus, it was _past_ time to head home anyway. After packing up a few things, shutting everything down, and exchanging goodbyes with a few coworkers, she was on her way out of there.

Passing by the front desk, she noticed Laura packing up all of her belongings.

"Leaving late as usual, huh?" Serena called out.

The older woman looked up from her bag "Look who's talking. How was your day, 'Rena?"

"Eh," she shrugged, "pretty standard. I organized some financial records, finished that memo the boss had me work on, and sat at my desk until my ass went numb." The women walked out the door together as she spoke, their heels clacking on the tile floors. "Oh, and Ethan asked me out again during my lunch break."

Laura rolled her eyes and groaned. "Again? He should've given up by now.”

Serena replied, "Yep,” and shrugged one shoulder, “He's persistent, I'll give him that."

“Well, whatever, he’s not important, and he’s pretty harmless.” Laura turned to look at Serena as they headed to the parking lot. “How's your mom been doing? Have you talked to her lately?" 

Serena sighed, sadness flashing across her face. "I called her yesterday and she's been doing alright. Losing Dad's been... hard on both of us, of course. But she's recovering, and she's even gone back to work." They stood at their cars for a moment when they reached them, finishing their brief conversation.

"Oh, that's good to hear! I know I've said it a thousand times, but I'm so sorry about what happened. To both of you," Laura said as she unlocked her car. "And remember that I'm always happy to listen, if you ever want to talk."

"Ah, thanks, Laura. I really do appreciate it. But I won't take you up on that right now," Serena laughed softly. "And I'm sure your husband will be wanting you home soon."

Laura chuckled. "True enough, and I'm anxious to get home, as I'm sure you are. But seriously though, you can talk to me whenever." She smiled gently, placing a hand on the younger woman’s shoulder.

"Yeah, I know. Thank you, again." Serena placed her hand on the one resting on her shoulder, giving it a quick squeeze.

They broke apart and climbed into their respective cars. 

Just as Serena was about to start her car, she heard the thunderous growl of engines, similar to the noise she had heard this morning. The noise was coming their way down the street. This time, it was just the black and yellow car followed by a woman on a blue motorcycle. Neither were speeding this time around, so she assumed the black cars were gone. Still, she had a gut feeling that there was something suspicious about that car and the motorcycle.

Both vehicles braked at the stoplight across the parking lot. The woman on the bike, whose face was completely concealed by the helmet she wore, turned and looked straight at Serena. She didn’t know how she knew that the woman was looking at her and not at anything else, but Serena knew. And that sent a small shiver of fear down her spine.

_‘Just stay in the car, wait for them to leave, then cautiously drive home.’_

Serena quickly turned over the engine and the familiar hum of the car reached her ears. After locking the doors, she turned her head towards the two mysterious vehicles. The light had turned green and the woman was no longer looking at her. 

They drove off and turned down the next block, and Serena let out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding. She looked over at Laura, who didn't appear to be paying attention, choosing to text on her phone instead.

Something was definitely strange about that woman on the bike and whoever was driving that yellow and black car. The blonde hoped she wouldn’t see them around again.

The drive home had little traffic, but it was bad enough to make her journey home last longer than she would’ve liked. Her decision to move to the city filled her with regret more often than not. She missed the country, with its empty roads and the smaller crowds, the stronger sense of community and fellowship. City living just wasn’t for her. But after receiving a good job opportunity, and after losing her father, she didn't really see a reason not to go.

Upon arriving to her apartment building, she parked her car, got out, and began a slow march up the stairs to her door. Thankfully, she made it without encountering any neighbors. The ability to muster up the energy to engage in small talk had long abandoned her.

After she unlocked and opened the door, she dropped her purse and keys on the nearby table. Her shoulders sagged in relief. 

“Good to finally be home,” she grumbled.

The rest of the evening was quiet. No phone calls, no knocks on her door, _nothing._ She was free to change into her comfiest clothes, make something for dinner, and flop onto the couch and watch TV. She scanned through the available options it provided as she ate and groaned in disappointment.

_‘Nothing on worth watching,’ she sighed._

She finished her food, and gave up on finding something to watch. With a sigh, she decided she might as well go to bed early. Her eyelids were growing heavy anyways.

After brushing her hair and her teeth, she crawled into bed and drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

She was actually somewhat looking forward to her day when she awoke the next morning. She had no work today, and a couple of weeks ago, she’d planned one of her usual trips to the nearby state park. Outside, in the woods, up the mountains, down the beach, or wherever—that was where she was most content.

She got out of bed and changed into a dark purple tank top and black athletic capri pants. She grabbed a hair tie and pulled her hair back into a tight pony tail before leaving.

The drive was fairly short and parking proved to be of no issue as there were very few people who were there as early as she was. All of these factors contributed to her already pleasant mood.

Leaves of various shades of red, orange, and yellow continuously rained down around the park-goers. The cool air bit at the exposed skin on Serena’s face and arms, but such climate was not foreign to her. The leaves beneath her blue tennis shoes crunched as she roamed the dirt paths. Autumn had certainly made itself known.

A few of the staff members greeted her in passing, familiar with her habitual outings. She greeted them in kind, not stopping to carry on lengthy chats.

Sightseeing now over with, she made her way to the area that was designated to rock climbing. A few other people milled about, preparing to scale the craggy rocks above them. She approached the shed towards the park ranger overseeing the rock climbing equipment, a small smile on her face.

”Hey, Tom,” she greeted. The middle aged man looked up at the sound of his name.

”Well, hey there, young lady! It’s been a little while since your last visit. How you been?” Tom queried, a huge grin on his face as leaned against a wall.

Serena let out a short laugh at his enthusiastic address, resting one hand on her hip. “I’ve been alright, just busy. I’ve been meaning to head up here, but—well, you know, life has a tendency of getting in the way of anything fun.”

Tom snorted, “Oh yeah, I understand how it is sometimes. So, you’ll be needing some gear, I’m guessin’?”

“Yep! Just doing the usual route.” Serena watched as Tom pulled out all the necessary tackle and handed it over to her. All the accessories were usually difficult to clip on and secure for a beginner, but she’d done this far too many times that it was easy enough to pull them on. She said her goodbyes to the ranger, now standing beneath the imposing cliff face she had climbed many times before. She let out a short breath as she stared at the wall in front of her, and began to climb.

Every now and then, a rock would break free and she would lose her grip, but she managed to stay the course. Up and up she went, maneuvering around or over the obstacles undeterred. Grasping at the small ledges and cracks, searching for footholds, she continued up until she reached an area that was level. She pulled herself up onto the ledge, plopping down to take a break, her breathing heavy.

Everywhere she looked, the majestic mountains stood proudly. She closed her eyes, the breeze causing her hair to flutter around her face, taking the crisp air into her lungs. Her eyes opened as she released a small huff. In her mind, nothing quite compared to this experience—so freeing and empowering. She was beholden to no one but herself here, among the trees and bushes and rocks.

She stayed there for several minutes, taking in the sights and simply relaxing. But she still had a ways to go before she reached the end of her climb.

Getting back up on her feet, she continued her ascent. It wasn’t long before she reached one of the higher and more treacherous hiking trails. This particular trail had few visitors, which was the main reason she was fond of it. She was careful about the placement of her feet every time she took a step, wary of holes or rocks that would shift.

She had the trail all to herself. It was a peaceful hike—birds were chirping, bugs were buzzing, and the wind was blowing. But these were not the only sounds she heard.

Serena’s ears twitched as an ever so faint whirring noise reached them. 

“What the...? What is that?” she stopped to listen. The noise was coming from her left, deeper in the trees. With an inquisitive tilt of her head, she decided to investigate.

She muttered to herself as she walked, “This is probably a bad idea. When you hear a weird noise while you’re alone in the woods, best course of action is to go the _opposite_ direction, not towards it, you idiot.” But she did not heed her own advice and marched forward.

The noise grew louder as Serena approached. She squeezed through a particularly thick copse of trees and gaped at the massive cave that bored into the side of the mountain. A small clearing surrounded the mouth of the cave surrounded by trees that had previously been towering over the area, now uprooted, knocked over, and cut down. 

As she got closer, she realized it was from the cave through which the drilling sound emanated.  
Something was seriously wrong. This wasn’t the result of the weather or animals. And that noise definitely wasn’t natural either.

One of the trees that was ripped out of the ground was close to her, and she walked over to it, touching the exposed roots. 

“What the hell could do something like this?” she wondered aloud as she turned to look at the cavern.

It was already stupid to come here, but it would be even _more_ stupid to go in there. She knew this. But she threw all of her common sense down on the ground with her climbing gear and strode towards the entrance of the cave.

The whining and whirring was much louder this close to the source, but not yet unbearable. Serena slowed her pace, creeping around corners and through the boreholes. Someone or... some _thing_ has definitely been mining in here.

Clanging and grinding noises were now clearly audible, adding to her suspense and curiosity. Those noises continued to guide her through the maze of tunnels, until finally she rounded one more corner and found the source of the commotion.

There, in the middle of this labyrinthian cave, was a colossal room. It had several tunnels leading away from it and even several ledges that served as floors. Every chamber and corner was filled with a multitude of glowing blue crystals. But the crystals were not the strangest objects in the room.

“Oh my God...” 

Serena couldn’t believe what she was witnessing. Her eyes were as wide as dinner plates, her mouth hanging open. 

“What the... What are...?” she whispered, unable to finish her thought as her heart started to pound.

Everywhere she looked, giant, metal, robotic creatures were hard at work mining those huge glowing crystals. All of them looked exactly the same. Each one of these robotic beings all bore the same shades of purple and black on their bodies and had the same glowing red visor on their faces.

_‘What are these things?’_

Then, emerging from one of the numerous passages, was one robotic creature that did _not_ look like the rest. It walked to the middle of the room, towering over the rest. 

This one... was absolutely _terrifying._

Not only was this one double the size of the others, but sharp silver plating protruded from all over its body and tapered into wicked sharp points. Its huge and clawed fingers rested on its hips, teeth like that of a shark would flash in a snarl when one of the smaller beings would fumble with their task, and its blood red, glowing eyes closely surveyed all that was happening around it.

But the most frightening thing of all about this creature, was when its blazing red eyes locked onto hers.


	3. The Answer to an Age Old Question

She should run, run so fast that her legs will burn from the strain, run so far away this will seem like a fever dream. She should run for her _life._

But she didn’t, she _couldn’t._

The massive silver robot’s eyes narrowed, and its lip curled in what looked like disgust. Its mouth moved, shouting to the robotic clone that was closest to her. She could not clearly make out what it was saying over the cacophonous sounds of mining, though it seemed the robots had no issues hearing one another.

Now both the silver robot and the clone were looking at her. With a gasp, Serena stumbled backward and fell on her rear as the purple and black clone advanced upon her. Panic was setting in, and she knew that she had to get away. _Now._

She leaped to her feet, adrenaline driving her, and sprinted back the way she came towards the entrance. Her heart raced faster and faster, the heavy footfalls of the huge robot behind her pounded in her ears as she ran away in terror. This was _bad._

Despite her best efforts to outrun it, the huge creature caught up to her in a few strides. She screamed as she was snatched up, watching the ground below become distant. Her ribs creaked beneath the crushing grip of the unknown creature and she felt the air in her lungs rush out. No matter how hard she pushed or pounded against the clawed fingers that were clenched around her, they wouldn’t budge.

For a terrifying second, she thought it was going to crush her to death.

“Please...stop... let me... go,” she wheezed, but there was no reply. 

She continued to squirm and wheeze as her robot captor returned to the main room. It dutifully marched through the cavern, passing by the other miners, until it stopped in front of the silver behemoth.

“Lord Megatron,” the robot holding her greeted, bowing low. 

Serena let out a short cough and winced as he tightened his grip even further, ensuring she was unable to escape. Her squirming ceased as she took in the sight before her. This close, she could see the menacing, purple insignia emblazoned on the center of his chest, the harsh lines running down the center of his face, and how he was even more terrifying and gigantic than she had previously realized. She stared up into his face, unable to hide her fear as her heart raced and body trembled. He returned her gaze, looking her over with disinterest.

“ _You_ are not one of the Autobots’ _pets_ ,” he spat, voice low and gravelly. “How did you arrive here?” he questioned, shifting to place his hands on his hips.

Serena’s brows furrowed in confusion. What is an “Autobot”? Who is this “Lord Megatron”? What are these clones? Where did they come from? Why are they after these crystals? All of these questions rushed through her mind all at once, until she focused on the question that she was asked.

“I... what? I just... was out hiking and... I heard... noises,” she strained, “What... What... are you?” Her torso ached, lungs yearning to take in more air. 

All around them, the other robot clones were starting to take notice of her. This was bad. What had she stumbled into?

Serena received no answers, only a grunt of disdain. 

“Dispose of this pathetic insect,” Lord Megatron directed the small robot holding her, turning his broad back to them. “She is of no use to m—”

Out of nowhere, a blast slammed into robot that was holding Serena. It sent him crashing into Megatron’s back, knocking them both down and sending her flying through the air as his grip loosened. She landed on her side and cried out in pain— shoulder and ribs screaming at the impact. She realized she was free and sluggishly crawled onto all fours.

What the hell just happened?

The ringing in her ears was made worse by the chaos now surrounding her. Dazedly, she dragged her gaze from the ground to the rest of the cavern, taking in the disarray. Flashes of red and blue whipped across her blurred vision, the ground shook violently as clones everywhere fell, and the one called “Lord Megatron” was now on his feet, snarling. He was firing the canon that rested on his right arm at two figures near the entrance of the cavern.

As her vision began to clear, she was able to make out the figures. One of them was a tiny—well, tiny compared to all the other robots—blue robot, who was blasting and slashing the clones with wicked speed. The larger of the two was a blinding yellow, brawling with multiple clones. She then noticed her robot captor to the side, unmoving. Was it… was it dead?

Serena didn’t know what to do, fear and confusion clouding her thoughts. What was going on? What are these things? Why are they fighting?

She stayed there, dazed, confused and unmoving, until the ground started shaking even more than it already was. One clone was charging towards the blue robot and she was directly in its path. With a shout, she dove out of the way before its foot could crush her. Any second later and she would have been _paste._

Her shout drew the attention of the blue robot, who fired multiple shots through the clone that nearly crushed her. The small robot locked onto her, eyes widened and freezing for a moment. Serena stared back into those blue, glowing eyes, noticing the robot’s feminine features as blaster fire continued to blaze through the cave.

“Scrap!” the female robot exclaimed, shaking her head in frustration.

The robot suddenly rushed forward, swiping Serena off of the ground and diving behind some rocks. 

Serena started to struggle again. “Wha—hey! Let go of me you—”

“Shut up!” the robot shouted, raising one hand to the side of her head. “Arcee to base, we need immediate backup!” She curled up tighter around Serena as a few shots landed close by. “We found the mine and there’s a human involved!”

Frantic, Serena thrashed and sputtered. “W-What’s going on? Who are you? Why—”

“I said _shut up!_ ” the blue robot commanded, pressing a silver hand to Serena’s mouth—well, her whole face—and held her a little tighter to stop her movement. Serena winced but remained silent as the robot compressed her, aggravating her sore ribs and shoulder from the jostling. The robot seemed to notice her discomfort and loosened her arms from around Serena. 

“Sorry,” Arcee quickly muttered.

That definitely came as a surprise. The other robot who snatched her up didn’t care at all about how tightly he held her. And these new robots were fighting the ones who had hurt her, so maybe they were somehow... better? “The good guys” so to speak?

Arcee then turned around, still pressing Serena close to her torso, and began firing her… arm… gun… thing? Did this robot’s arm really just turn into some kind of _gun_? 

Well, that’s neat. Convenient, too. 

The blue robot was attempting to ward away all who came near with a multitude of blasts. Meanwhile, the yellow robot who Serena was pretty sure was with Arcee, fired rapidly at the large silver one while dodging red blasts of energy at the same time. His arms were gun things too.

Serena noticed that instead of Lord Megatron’s arm shifting into a blaster like all the others around him, a huge canon rested on his right arm. 

A sound like Serena had never heard before suddenly blared nearby. She was able to shift enough to peak around the rock they were crouched behind, and behold the swirling green and blue portal that caused the noise. Two huge figures—one red and blue and the other green and black—raced through the portal, arms stretched out and firing blue bolts at every clone in sight. While the green one smashed the clones nearby, the red and blue one immediately charged the one called Lord Megatron, slashing at him with a silver sword. Wait—a sword? She looked closer, and saw that his arm, that had previously been a blaster, had shifted into a _sword_. How the hell did that even happen? 

They were immediately locked in a vicious brawl—punching, kicking, slashing, and stabbing at each other—as the green and black robot and the yellow robot continued to make the number of clones still standing dwindle.

For the hundredth time, Serena asked herself what the hell these things were. Why are they fighting? What are they after? So many questions and no answers. She didn’t know what to make of all this. Lord Megatron ordered that clone who nearly crushed her in his fist to “dispose” of her, while this small blue robot called Arcee and her yellow companion seemed to be... protecting her? Maybe these new multicolored robots were good? Or, at least, better than the other dark ones.

A scary thought erupted at the back of her mind. Maybe unlike Lord Megatron, who had no use for humans, these ones have something planned for her.

Lord Megatron went flying across the cavern as the red and blue robot punched him away.

“Arcee?!” the huge red and blue robot’s baritone voice called out, whipping his head around in search of her while he blasted at the few remaining miners.

“Here, Optimus!” she answered. Serena looked up at her as she shouted, then watched the red and blue robot—Optimus—turn towards them.

“We must protect the human! Take her back to base! Now!” he ordered, returning his attention to the now standing Megatron.

“What—No! Don’t do this! Just let me go!” Serena pleaded, flailing and pounding against the arms wrapped around her as Arcee picked her up and sprinted toward the portal. “Stop! Please! Let me go! I-I won’t tell anyone about all of you!” 

Arcee ignored her pleas, ducking and leaping away from all the shots zooming around them. One of the larger crystals near them was hit by a stray blast, forcing Arcee to leap back as it exploded. All this jostling around was torment on the human’s stomach. Serena was definitely going to be sick soon.

“Stop moving! I’m not gonna hurt you!” the bot carrying her shouted as she ran.

Serena was still skeptical, but stopped trying to free herself from the blue ‘bot’s hold. They were nearing the portal when a red blast caught Arcee in the shoulder, sending her to her knees with a cry of pain. Serena was clutched tighter to Arcee’s chest, despite the female bot’s injury, and she let out her own cry as her injuries were again aggravated.

With a grunt, Arcee struggled to stand, ignoring her sparking shoulder—which was now leaking a blue liquid. Even though Serena was more or less her captive, Serena felt a pang of sympathy at the sight of the robot’s pained expression.

They were close to the portal now. Groaning, Arcee trudged toward the swirling vortex. The other robots who were her allies drew nearer, warding off their opponents. The one called Optimus was keeping Lord Megatron at bay, with the other two battling the last of the clones. Once she was close enough, Arcee dove into the green portal.

The blinding light made Serena squeeze her eyes shut. Every inch of her body, inside and out, was vibrating as she went through the vortex. It was as if every single one of her cells had been ripped apart, rearranged, then put back together again. Her bones were rattling, her skin was crawling, and her stomach was churning. This was an experience unlike any other. All these feelings rushed through her in the blink of an eye. It was truly overwhelming. But, most pressingly, it was sickening.

Arcee twisted mid jump to land on her back, ensuring that Serena wasn’t crushed. But even so, robots didn’t make for soft landings. Serena’s head slammed the metal body beneath her as they crashed to the ground, furthering her disorientation from the portal. Serena’s nausea was unbearable. 

Once they stopped skidding along the ground, Arcee’s grip loosened. Serena took this opportunity to wiggle out of the bot’s arms and scramble to the side of the portal’s wide walkway. Bracing her hands on the edge and hunching over, she heaved the contents of her stomach over the side. She might have even cried a little as her shaky knees gave way beneath her.

“Oh, _wonderful_ ,” an aggravated voice groaned. 

Serena slowly straightened, wiping her mouth. God, this was gross. She turned to the source of that annoyed voice—a large orange and white robot that was standing near a green console. He sighed, walking towards Arcee to help her up. 

“Arcee, how could you be careless enough to allow another human to become involved?” he bent over, carefully lifting her so he could guide her to sit on a nearby platform. “The children are more than enough to deal with! And now, this one just made a vile mess underneath the ground bridge!”

“She was already in the cave with the Decepticons when we got there, Ratchet!” Arcee snapped, wincing as he prodded her injured shoulder. “So if you’re going to start assigning blame, blame them! All we did was save her from them.” She groaned when he began welding the wound shut.

Serena was still in a daze, not processing their argument. Her attention was instead drawn by her new surroundings. This... was not the cave she was previously in. Had she just... teleported? 

Instead of the tumultuous cavern filled with robot clones, blue crystals, and strange drills, it was more of a military base. Huge consoles and strange equipment were spread throughout the area, and there were even human sized walkways stretching across the main area.

Where the hell was she? What was going on?

Her trembling returned. She didn’t know where she was. She didn’t know how she got here. She didn’t know what these things were. She didn’t know what they would do to her. She knew nothing, and that terrified her.

“What have I gotten into?” she whispered.

Three vehicles—a familiar yellow muscle car, a green truck, and a red and blue semi truck—then came roaring through the portal, zooming past the human still on the ground. Serena spun around, crawling backwards into the room. The orange and white robot—Ratchet, if she heard Arcee correctly—returned to the console where she first saw him. He pushed a lever, and the vortex behind her disappeared.

Her eyes were wide, and her breathing grew heavy. What even was that thing? But the portal’s disappearance was nothing compared to the sight of those three vehicles transforming into the three robots she’d just seen in the mine.

“H-How...? What...? Oh my God...Oh my God...” she whimpered, staring up in fear and awe. She drew her knees tighter to her chest, scooting away from them.

“Saw that blast you took, ‘Cee. You alright? Looked bad,” the green one said, walking towards Arcee and Ratchet.

“The blast hit the joint, dislocating it and reopening an old wound. Recovery will take some time, but she’ll be fine,” Ratchet answered, continuing his repairs.

The largest bot in room nodded, then asked, “Where is the human? Did she suffer any injuries?” 

It took Serena moment to realize that the robot meant her. He searched around the room for her, but did not see her.

Ratchet raised a hand and pointed at Serena. “She’s still cowering beside the ground bridge. I think she may be in shock, but I haven’t observed any apparent injuries.”

They all turned to look at her. Serena quietly gasped, and froze in fear. The yellow one took a few steps towards her, making beeping and buzzing noises that she couldn’t understand. As he got closer, she scurried backwards and until her back hit a wall. With nowhere else to go, she curled in on herself, shutting her eyes and drawing her arms up in a futile attempt to protect her face. But, really, what was the point? She couldn’t protect herself from these things.

“We mean you no harm. You are safe,” the red and blue bot—Optimus, she recalled—said. “What is your name?”

Still wary, she slowly lowered her arms from her face, and looked up at him. He was now crouched on one knee, looming over her, but with a gentle expression on his silver face.

Could she really trust these creatures? Arcee protected her back in the cave, and rescued her from being disposed. But at the same time, they had effectively kidnapped her. 

“It’s... Serena. I-I’m Serena,” she sputtered, making no move to get up.

“My name is Optimus Prime. The one who brought you here is Arcee,” he gestured towards the two robots who went through the portal with him, “This is Bulkhead,” she followed his movements to look at each bot, “and Bumblebee, our scout.” He turned to point at the last bot in the room. “And this is our medic, Ra—”

“Ratchet,” she finished automatically. If he was irritated by her interruption, he showed no signs of it. 

“I—Sorry,” she muttered. He merely nodded, and extended one massive metal hand to her.

What did that mean? Did he want her to give him something? Or was she supposed to climb onto his hand? She stared at the proffered hand until it finally clicked in her mind—he was trying to help her up. This big gigantic robot was offering to help her tiny, squishy human self.

Hesitating for a moment, she reached out and placed both her hands on his index finger. He curled his finger, and gently—far more gently than a being his size should be capable of—pulled her to her feet. She offered him a quick smile in thanks before darting her eyes to the floor.

“I am certain you have many questions,” he stated softly. He drew his hand back to rest upon his knee, looking at her expectantly.

She turned to each of the other strange beings, observing their dispositions. Ratchet seemed irritated by her presence, Arcee was still grimacing while the medic repaired her shoulder, Bulkhead was rather indifferent, and Bumblebee was practically brimming with curiosity. 

With a shiver, she remembered Lord Megatron’s flashing eyes and the robot clone’s claws around her body. But maybe... she could trust these guys. Maybe they wouldn’t hurt her. Well, she wouldn’t know unless she asked.

“Yes,” she paused, licking her dry lips, “I do. What... What are all of you? Where did you come from?”

Bumblebee stepped forward, beeping and buzzing. Perhaps this was how he communicated? But she did not understand him, so she shook her head and shrugged. He seemed disheartened by her lack of understanding, head lowering, but quickly returned to his more happy nature with a loud beep. He was very expressive for something that couldn’t speak.

Optimus recaptured her attention, “We are autonomous robotic organisms from the planet Cybertron. We are Autobots, and the ones who attempted to harm you are the Decepticons.”

Serena gaped. “‘From the planet’—wait are you tellin’ me you’re all aliens? From-From outer space? Like a whole different planet?” she threw her arms up towards the ceiling as she spoke, eyes wide in disbelief.

“Yes,” Optimus nodded, seemingly unfazed by her shock.

“Oh my God...” she breathed. She stared up at the massive being kneeling before her with wide eyes.

This was unbelievable. She’d wondered for so long—the world had wondered for so long. She may be one of the very few humans who knew about their existence. But surely the government had to know, right? This base seemed to have human aspects, as well as... giant alien robot ones. So, maybe the government gave them the base?

“Y’all are _aliens_. This is—well, this is monumental,” she laughed to herself somewhat hysterically while she started pacing, not believing anything she was seeing or hearing. “We’ve wondered if there was other life out there for centuries! You’re the answer to the age old question ‘are we alone in this universe?’ And now, you’re actually here, on Earth.”

She turned to meet Optimus’s steady gaze as she stopped pacing. He showed no signs of feeling... anything, really. His face remained stony throughout her ranting, and she was unable to read his thoughts. Serena could read the irritation on Arcee’s face back in the cave, and she could see Bumblebee’s excitement. But Optimus? There was nothing to read on his face. He didn’t seem to be bothered by her presence, but she had no way of knowing whether or not that was true. He just maintained his somber expression. She wondered why that was.

But that wasn’t really a priorty to her right now. Here she was, talking to an honest-to-god alien. She had touched one too, and was nearly killed by some. She had so many questions for them. What else was even out there? What did they know that humanity didn’t? What were they doing on their planet? Thousands of questions she’d pondered about for years, now had the potential of getting answers. 

Serena drew herself up, determined to get some answers. “I-I hope you don’t mind, and I’m really sorry if you do, but I have enough questions to last a lifetime.”

She almost missed it, but his expression softened for barely a moment before returning to its previously solemn state.

Optimus nodded once. “Very well. What is it that you would like to know?”

She met his gaze. “Everything.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The bots are finally here!! Wooooo
> 
> Sorry this took a little while to write. Holidays. Y’all know how it is lol. But I hope everybody enjoyed their holidays nonetheless!!


	4. A New Start

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the long wait! Life got in the way, as well as me buying Red Dead Redemption 2.
> 
> That game has completely consumed me and I have discovered that I’m now exclusively attracted to cowboys
> 
> But anyway, I hope y’all enjoy this chapter!

As it turned out, Optimus gives in depth answers to any question. Serena stared at him with wide eyes as he calmly, and thoroughly, answered each of her questions. She nodded, looking down at the floor as she tried to sum everything up.

“So, y’all are called Autobots, and you’ve been fighting a war against the Decepticons for several millennia. You, Optimus Prime, lead the Autobots; while Megatron, the big scary spikey fella, leads the Decepticons. And the reason you’re all here on Earth is because your world... died? And it died because all the energon ran out?” Serena crossed her arms, raising a hand to rest on her chin. “Am-Am I getting all this right?” She craned her head up to look at Optimus.

“You are correct,” Optimus rumbled.

“Primus. She’s almost as bad as Miko with all of these incessant questions,” Ratchet grumbled, finishing up on Arcee’s shoulder.

Optimus gave Ratchet a stern look, to which the orange and white bot simply shrugged and returned to working. The Autobot leader returned his gaze to her before speaking again, “It is alright. Your curiosity regarding our presence upon your world is warranted.” He stood, and waved his hand towards a set of nearby stairs that led up to a viewing platform, allowing them to converse kind of eye-to-eye, or as close as could be to a gigantic robot. “Perhaps we can continue this where we are both comfortable.”

Serena looked at where he indicated, wondering if he was telling her to go up there not only out of kindness, but also so that he wouldn’t have to continue to crouch down so far to look at her. 

She cautiously climbed up the stairs only to pause upon seeing the couch, chairs, and TV in this area. Did other humans live here? Who? Government agents or…?

She turned around to see Optimus and the others watching her. She felt self-conscious under their gazes—as if every move she made was being closely scrutinized. Perhaps they were just as wary of her as she was of them. Probably not, though. If they didn’t like or trust her, they could just step on her and that would be that.

Once she gave Optimus her full attention again, she spoke quietly. “I really am sorry if all my questions are irritating. It’s just... well, like I said before, this is huge. How many people know about you?”

“I assure you, your queries are not an irritation. It is understandable that you would be curious, and that we may be overwhelming to you,” Optimus stepped closer to the raised area she stood upon. “As for your question, the United States government knows we are here. They allowed us to use this abandoned missile silo as a base of operations. But we only communicate with your government through our liaison, Special Agent William Fowler.”

Serena nodded as she looked away. She expected as much. So, was she the only civilian to know of them? And what else did the government know that everyone else didn’t? They knew these giant aliens were here and had hidden them from the public. Questions for another time, she thought.

“There are also three children who live in the town closest to our base that know of us. They, too, were accidentally involved in our conflict,” Optimus said.

Serena snapped her head back to Optimus, surprised. “Children? How young are we talkin’ here? And how did they find out about all this? Are they o-”

Optimus raised a huge metal hand to stop her. “They are fine, and they are what your people call ‘teenagers.’ Ja-”

“Well, thank God for that at least,” she interjected, letting out a relieved breath, “When you said ‘children,’ I was expecting, like, elementary schoolers or somethin’.”

The big red and blue robot just stared at her. Right. He probably wouldn’t even know what elementary school was. And she interrupted him again. Serena, you dumbass...

“Uh, right. Sorry ‘bout that. Anyway, please continue?” She forced a smile on her face, hoping Optimus wouldn’t be upset.

Even though Optimus Prime seemed to have nearly endless patience, she caught a flicker of slight irritation on his face before it quickly returned to its standard expression. Whoopsie. She really didn’t mean to bother him. Thankfully, the other Autobots had stopped paying her any attention by now, or they might have told her off at interrupting their leader. Especially that Ratchet, who didn't seem to care for her at all.

Optimus blinked at her. “It is alright,” he nodded once, “Jack and Rafael discovered us during a Decepticon attack, but the encounter was less hazardous than yours. Arcee was seen conversing with Jack by Miko at a later date.”

He leaned forward and placed one hand on the yellow rail in front of Serena. She instinctively stepped back, trying to distance herself from him. It was unlikely that he would hurt her at this point, but she was still cautious. He seemed to notice her wariness. She saw the corners of his mouth momentarily turn downwards, and he took a step back.

“Serena, please know that you are safe here. We would never willfully endanger you.” Optimus turned to glance at the other Autobots while they carried out various tasks. “Jack, Miko, and Rafael each have a guardian to ensure their safety. Now that the Decepticons know of you, and that you are involved with us, they will most certainly attempt to harm you, or use you against us. It would be best for you to remain near the base, so that we may better protect you.”

She stared up at him, thinking over everything that he had said. “Where even is this base? That-That portal thingy over there,” she waved one arm in the direction of said portal thingy, “It teleported me, didn’t it?”

“Yes.” He nodded. “It is called a ‘ground bridge,’ and it is capable of transporting us anywhere on Earth. You are currently in the state of Nevada, just outside the town of Jasper.”

“ _Nevada?!_ I live in Colorado! That’s two states away!” Serena exclaimed, her eyes wide and mouth agape. “And you just-just expect me to pick up everything and come here? So y’all can be my-what, big robo babysitters?” She furrowed her brows staring up at him as she stepped forward to grip the yellow handrail.

“Serena, I am not ordering you to do anything.” Optimus leaned forward again, his face softening as he tried to assuage her concerns. “I merely wish to provide you with protection against a threat that you are incapable of fighting on your own. If you wish to remain in Colorado, so be it. But I cannot promise that the Decepticons will not find you there.”

“But... who’s to say the Decepticons wouldn’t find me here? Or, hell, anywhere?” Serena gestured all around her, “I’m assuming they’ve got one of those fancy ground bridges too? So, really, there’s no where that’s completely safe.” 

“It is possible that the Decepticons could find you even here,” Optimus nodded, “But, if you were to stay nearby, we could more easily come to your aid, should you require it. And, we would be capable of monitoring your surroundings.”

He leaned down, trying to lower himself to her level. “I know this is trying for you, and I can only offer you my sincerest apologies that you were involved in our war. But I implore you, let us ensure your wellbeing. I do not wish for your life to be at risk.”

“I...” she trailed off, not knowing how to respond. 

How could she just uproot her whole life? Quit her job, sell her apartment, and leave what few friends she had behind? She couldn’t do that, could she? And what would she tell people was the reason she was uprooting her life? That evil, giant alien robots were going to kill her, and her best chance at surviving was to move in with the good, giant alien robots? Yeah, right. That’d go over well.

Though she didn’t really want to admit it, Serena knew that Optimus was right. There was no way she could defend herself against the Decepticons. They had nearly killed her once, and she wasn’t eager to give them another opportunity where they could succeed.

And really, if she was being honest, what was keeping her in Colorado anyway? Her mother was still back home in Montana, and Serena’s only decent friend was Laura. But Laura was always busy with this or that, and had many other friends and a husband. Serena and Laura were always kind to each other, but weren’t anything like “best friends,” more like fairly close work acquaintances. Serena’s job never meant very much to her, and her apartment was... an apartment. It never felt like a home.

Her life, at present, was incredibly lackluster. She wasn’t truly happy. Though she felt as if she was being ungrateful. Her life, for the most part, was very good by most people’s standards. Should she really be complaining? 

But… for as long as she could remember, she’d always wanted something big and exciting for her life, and now it has fallen into her lap. Now she’s facing massive aliens, who could tell her all about the universe, about other worlds. Tell her things that no one else on the entire planet knows about. If this wasn’t something big and exciting, she didn’t know what was.

Serena took a deep breath, not believing her current predicament. Who else could say their problems were related to alien robots? Shaking her head and looking at Optimus, she simply said, “Okay.”

“Okay?” Optimus repeated. The robot looked genuinely surprised at her quick acceptance, and Serena had a feeling very few things truly surprised the leader of the Autobots, but she somehow had.

“Yeah. Okay. I’ll move here. It was pretty boring back in Boulder anyway.” She smiled and shook her head. 

She was really doing this. It was going to be quite a hassle and she really didn’t know what she was getting herself into, but she was going to go through with it. Because she was, apparently, having some momentary insanity. Well, really, she’s always been a little insane. Just a little.

Optimus slightly raised his metal brows, but maintained his stoic appearance. “You are more willing than I thought you would be. Though I cannot say I am ungrateful for your cooperation.”

Serena nodded. “Well, I still need to go back home so I can sort everything out. It’s gonna take a few weeks though. Maybe more,” she shifted from one foot to the other, “So... can you power up your bridge thing and get me home?”

“Yes, but it will require the coordinates of your residence,” Optimus answered.

“Coordinates? Why would I know the coordinates of my apartment?” she questioned.

“You do not know the location of your home?”

“I-Wha-Yes, of course I know where my home is,” she sputtered, “But I don’t exactly put my apartment’s _coordinates_ on my return address.”

Optimus sighed.

Despite being an absolutely massive robot who could easily squish her to death, Serena found his exasperation amusing. He didn’t seem to be too bothered, just maybe a bit tired. After that huge battle in the mine, she would’ve been surprised if he wasn’t tired at present.

Wait, did robots even get tired? These ones probably did. It was strange. These robots almost seemed... human. They could feel pain; Arcee exhibited that when she took that blast to her shoulder. They could be angry or irritated, as shown by Ratchet. They could also be kind. Optimus and Bumblebee showed Serena that. How could these things be capable of all that? They’re just machines. Weren’t they?

Serena shook herself out of her contemplation. “Um, would my address work?”

“Yes, that is sufficient. I can enter your address into the main console and search for your residence’s coordinates,” Optimus said, walking towards what she assumed was the main console and beginning to type.

She walked across the walkway to stand near the alien at the green console and shrugged one shoulder. “I mean, yeah, you can just google it. Probably. If your fancy alien tech works that way.”

He looked at her out of the corner of his eye, but said nothing. Serena really couldn’t read this large being. She’d always prided herself on her ability to read people, but with Optimus, it was like staring at a book and only able to see the cover, never able to turn the pages. Then again, he was a robot. While he did _have_ a face, his expressions would be much harder to comprehend than a human’s would be.

“Ah, here it is. I will reactivate the ground bridge near your home so that you may return,” Optimus said.

Serena furrowed her brows as she remembered the events just before the incident in the cave. “Well, um, thank you, but I just realized I need to get my car. It’s still at the state park where the Decepticons… you know.” She pursed her lips and rubbed the side of her neck. “So... would it be too much trouble to power up the bridge at the park instead? I could drive home from there and be out of your hair—uh, I mean, be out of your way.” Smooth recovery.

“Hm,” Optimus looked away, thinking. “I can open the bridge at the state park, but I will accompany you,” he stated, leaving no room for argument. “After encountering the Decepticons in such close proximity, I do not believe it would be wise for you to travel alone. Especially considering that it is now dusk.”

There really wasn’t a reason to argue with his decision. Serena was more than happy to have a very large and very strong robot bodyguard at present. She was particularly happy to have this specific robot bodyguard after witnessing him tear through those Decepticons with ease.

“Alright, that works. Let’s go, I guess. Sooner rather than later, because I’d really love to go home, go to sleep, and figure out if all of this is just some absolutely insane dream or not.” The woman started to leave the platform and go back down the stairs as Optimus began typing in the park’s coordinates. 

“Like, you know, maybe I fell while rock climbing and hit my head,” she mused as she climbed down, “Maybe I got a real bad concussion and I made all this up, or I’m in a coma, or something. Because there’s just no way this is real,” she glanced up at the ground bridge as it reappeared in a flash of green and blue. “Okay, aliens are definitely plausible, I’ve always kinda believed that they were real anyway. But giant aliens turning into trucks and stuff? That’s-That’s kinda crazy,” she walked all the way down to the groundbridge as she rambled, “But it’s space! And space is infinite, so anything is possible. Okay, anyway, I’m sorry. I’ll shut up now. I’m just really overwhelmed,” she finished as she let out a nervous laugh.

“I have no doubts that you are feeling overburdened with the knowledge that has so suddenly been bestowed upon you. You have my sincerest apologies for involving you in our affairs.” Optimus moved to stand in front of Serena and looked down at her. “I hope that this new start will not be too cumbersome for you. We Autobots will do our best to keep you safe. You have my word,” he promised.

Serena looked into his glowing eyes and saw his sincerity. He just seemed so… trustworthy. Maybe she was simply being naïve or projecting, but she truly felt like he just didn’t have it in him to be dishonest. So, she held out her hand to him with a small smile. “Okay. I believe you.”

Optimus simply stared at her outstretched hand, unmoving.

Rolling her eyes, she sighed. “I know it’s a long way down for you, but you gotta shake my hand after saying something like that. Earth customs and all that. Promise you I won’t bite,” she joked.

The big bot leaned down and gently, so very gently, grabbed her tiny, human hand with only his pointer finger and thumb, and shook her hand. If she wasn’t mistaken, the barest hint of a smile could be seen on his face before it quickly disappeared. After he pulled away and rose to his full height, she laughed.

“Well, all right big guy, we goin’?” 

Optimus gave her a short nod before shifting around millions of parts of himself to form the big rig she’d seen earlier. Wow.

The passenger door opened, and Serena shook her head and stared in awe. What a sight all that was. She stepped up into the big rig’s cab, and plopped down into the leather seat. The sentient semi truck’s engine roared to life all around her, and the swirling portal was dead ahead.

She took a deep breath to steady herself, and Optimus drove through.


End file.
